Ring type switch actuator for portable lamps



March 1957 G. B. BENANDER 2,785,243

RING TYPE SWITCH ACTUATOR FOR PORTABLE LAMPS 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 195A [)7 vemzon Gem ge B. Banana er, ,Qg MM 4.434411%. his A t torngg March '12, 1957 RING TYPE SWITCH ACTUATOR FOR PORTABLE LAMPS Filed July 29, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [27 l entor': George B. Benanoen I Qy M4414. fiwzb H/ls Atorngg.

e. B. BENANDER 2,785,243

United States Patent RING TYPE SWITCH ACTUATOR FOR PORTABLE LAMPS George B. Benander, Oaklawn, R. I., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application July 29, 1954, Serial No. 446,609

3 Claims. (Cl. ZOO-51.15)

The present inventicn relates to a combined lamp socket and pull switch assembly having a ring type switch actuator and to its application in a portable electric lamp. This invention is adapted to be substituted as a complete unit for the conventional lamp socket and switch assembly now use on table and floor lamps. Likewise, it is designed to eliminate the annoyance and the ditficulty that has plagued the general public in the operation of portable lamps by means of pull chain or turn knob switches or the like.

It has been everyones experience with portable electric lamps that it is often times awkward and disconcerting to operate the switch without being able to see it, which is the usual case. The lamp shade generally hides all of the lamp structure except the lower portion of the base so that the switch is seldom seen by the person wishing to operate it. A person develops a sixth sense after a period of time in groping for the turn knob or pull chain to operate the switch but this ability is worthless if the lamp has been moved from its usual position. The present invention contemplates the use of a spoked ring centered around a portable lamp so that by the mere depression of the ring, which is connected to a novel pull chain assembly, the switch is actuated to energize or de-energize the lamp. Thus, the lamp may be approached by the hand and the switch operated from any direction with equal facility. This broadly is not new but the means and manner by which it is accomplished represents the invention upon which I am seeking protection.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide a portable lamp with a combined lamp socket and pull switch assembly with a ring type switch actuator.

A further object of this invention is to provide a subassembly for a portable lamp which comprises a complete unit of a lamp socket and pull switch assembly which is combined with a switch actuator section including a spoked ring, and means for connecting the pull switch to the ring so that the depression of the ring will actuate the switch.

A further object of this invention is to provide a twopiece housing for supporting and guiding the spoked ring which serves as the switch actuator.

My invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a view of a portable lamp provided with a sub-assembly comprising a combined lamp socket, pull switch and ring type switch actuator embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the subassembly embodying my invention.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the sub-assembly of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to Figure 1 of the drawing,

7 represents a portable table lamp comprising a lamp base ice 11 and an upper sub-assembly 12 comprising a combined lamp socket and pull switch assembly 13 and a two piece hollow housing 14 which connects the assembly 13 with the lamp base 11. The housing 14 comprises an upper portion 55 and a lower portion 16 which are joined along a horizontal plane and held together by screw fasteners 17. A ring 18 having diagonal spokes 19 and 20 is located coaxially with the housing 14 and generally between the upper portion 15 and the lower portion 16 for a reason which will be explained later.

The combined lamp socket and pull switch assembly 13 is generally of the construction as is shown in the Benander Patent No. 2,606,258 which is assigned to the same assignee as is the present invention. The assembly 13 is substantially in the shape of a hollow circular cylinder which is split longitudinally to form two shell parts 21 and 22. The upper portion of the assembly 13 is internally threaded at 23 to receive the screw shell base of an incandescent lamp (not shown). Bulges 24 and 25 are formed integrally with the shell parts at the seam between such parts and contoured to provide vertically extending bores 26 and 27 opened at the upper end for receiving the free ends of a harp (not shown) for supporting a lamp shade thereon. Spring clips 28 and 29 are fitted around the bulges of the assembly 13 so as to hold the shell parts together in conjunction with the screw 32. This construction is shown in the Benander Patent No. 2,670,432 which is also assigned to the same assignee as is the present invention.

Turning now to the pull switch mechanism within the assembly 13, it will be seen in Figure 2 that there is a side contact 30 and a center contact 31 adapted for engagement with an incandescent lamp base. The contacts 30 and 31 are electrically connected through the switching mechanism to the conductors 33 and 34 respectively of the power cord 35. Contact 31 is formed with an arcuate shaped portion 36 which provides one of the fixed contact members for the switch. Joinedto the conductor 34 is a second fixed contact member 37 which is also of arcuate shape. A square-headed pin 38 is assembled in the shell part 22 so that the pin acts as a pivot means for the movable contactor 39 and the combined ratchet and pull link member 40. The contactor 39 is of insulating material having spaced circumferential ratchet teeth which define two pairs of diametrically opposed ratchet surfaces 41 which are separated by two pairs of diametrically opposed ratchet surfaces 42. Carried by contactor 39 is a bridging contact member 43 which is annular in shape with four equally spaced projections 44 bent at right angles to cover the ratchet surfaces 41.

To drive the movable contactor 39, a combined ratchet and pull link member 40 is employed. This member is fabricated from an insulating material since it is in direct engagement with the electrically conducting pin 38. For the purpose of providing a one-way drive for the movable contactor 39, member 40 has a ratchet face 45 to engage complementary surfaces on the mating side of the contactor 39 so that upon rotation of the member 40 in one direction the movable contactor 39 is also rotated. However, rotation of the member 40 in the opposite direction does not drive the contactor 39 because of the sloping ratchet surfaces 46 on the complementary face of the contactor. A torsion spring 47 is provided to engage the pin 48 on the pull link member 40 for an automatic return of the pull link member to its initial position after each operation of the switch. The opposite end of the spring engages the adjustable washer 49 under the head of the pin 38. It is interesting to note that the torsion spring 47 serves the dual function of preparing the pull link member 40 for its next switching operation and of normally holding the spoked ring 18 in its uppermost position so that it is in readiness to be depressed to initiate the actuation of the switching mechanism.

While there'rnay be a number of materials from which the ratchet and pull link member 40 can be made, I

find it preferable to employ a synthetic resin capable of being molded to the desired shape. As as example, super polyamides, commonly available under the name nylon are particularly well suited since such resins can be economically injection molded from a powder to produce a long wearing and strong member free from atmosp'heric influences, while still having adequate resiliency and strength to form the flexible link portion 56).

To operate this switch, it will be well understood by those skilled in this art that it is merely necessary to pull on the flexible link portion t which is formed as an integral part of the member 40 to move the switch to its next position. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the switch has four positions in making a complete revolution of the contactor 39. By this is meant that the contactor has four positions of on-off on-off for each complete revolution of the contactor. It is to be understood, however, that this same type of assembly could be employed with a multiploposition switch by increasing the number of steps and contact points for one complete revolution of the contactor. After the force has been applied to the link 50 to throw the switch to its next position, the link is then released and the switch is automatically reset for the next switching operation by the torsion spring 47. Since the combined ratchet and pull link member is made of a plastic which is also an insulating material, danger is eliminated of a short circuit occurring within the switch through the member 40.

Walls 51 and 52 are provided in the assembly 13 to separate the chamber containing the switching mechanism from the remainder of the structure. Obviously, the necessary apertures are formed in these walls to allow the elements 30, 31, 35 and 50 to project therethrough, Particular note should be taken of the fact that the flexible link 50 does not extend externally of the socket of the assembly 13 but is drawn through the bottom wall 52 for reasons which will be explained later.

The upper portion 15 of the hollow housing 14 is provided with internal threads 60, as seen in Figure 2, for

'making a threaded engagement with the external thread 61 formed on the bottom extremity of the shell parts 21 and 22. An ornamental ring 62 is interposed between the pull switch assembly 13 and the upper housing part 15 in order to hide the joint between the parts; The base of the part 15 has four equally spaced radiating arms 63 for cooperation with the spokes 19 and 20 of the ring 18.

The lower portion 16 of the hollow housing 14 is generally of an inverted bell shape with a series of four equally spaced vertical slots 64 provided therein. A pair of bosses 65 is formed on the upper rim of the portion 16 to mate with cooperating recesses 66 formed in the base of the portion 15. Elements 65 and 66 thereby provide a means for properly aligning the portions 15 and 16 so that the slots 64 are directly beneath the radiating arms 63. The recesses 66 in the portion 15 are provided with bores 67 drilled from above so that the self-tapping screw fastener 17 may be inserted therethrough and into the bores 68 located within the bosses 65 of the portion 16.

The spoked ring 18 is generally in the same plane as the dividing plane between the portions 15 and 16. The slots 64 serve to center the ring 18 by limiting the movement of the spokes 19 and 29 to movement in a vertical direction. When a force is applied to a point on the circumference of the ring 18, the ring serves as a lever and fulcrums by means of one or both of the spokes on the radiating arms 63; Th? flexible link portion 50 of 4 the switch mechanism is connected to the center of the ring by means of the double hook member 70 with one hook end caught in the end of the member 50 and the opposite hook end looped around the intersection of the spokes 19 and 20. Therefore, it can be seen that a depressing force applied to the ring 18 will move the hook member 70 downward to rotate the pull link member 40 and as a consequence the connector 39 to effect the switching of the lamp circuit.

The power cord 35 extends completely through the hollow housing 14 so that it may be fed through the base of a table or a floor lamp in the conventional manner. The lower edge of the portion 16 is provided with external threads '71 for fastening the sub-assembly of this invention to the hollow shaft of a portable lamp.

Consequently, having described my invention of an improved sub-assembly of a lamp socket and pull switch assembly having a novel ring type switch actuator, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that I have contributed to the ease of operating portable lamps. In addition, the parts are easy to manufacture and assemble at low cost.

Modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in this art, and it is to be understood therefore that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment dsclosed but that it is intended to cover all modifications which are within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A subassembly for a portable lamp comprising a combined lamp socket and pull switch assembly having cooperating movable and fixed contacts, a ratchet and pull link member for operating said movable contacts in steps, and resilient means to return said ratchet memher to its initial position independently of said movable contacts after each operation of the switch, an enlarged hollow housing connected to the lower end of said lamp socket, a spoked ring centered in said housing with the spokes protruding outwardly therefrom through verti cally arranged radially spaced slots in the housing, the said pull link member being connected through the interior of the socket to the center of the spoked ring, the said resilient means of the switch serving to hold the ring normally in its upper position in the said slots so that the switch may be actuated by depressing the ring at any point along its circumference.

2. A subassernbly for a portable lamp comprising a combined lamp socket and pull switch assembly section and a switch actuator section, the pull switch assembly having a rotary contactor for making and breaking the circuit through the fixed contacts of the switch, a ratchet and pull link member for operating said rotary contactor in steps and a pin forming an axis about which said mcmber and said contactor rotate, and a resilient means to return said pulling member to its initial position independently of the contactor after each operation of the switch, the said switch actuator section comprising a hollow housing joined to the lamp socket assembly, radially spaced slots formed in the housing, and a spoked ring having its center located within the housing with the spokes extending outwardly through the said slots,

the said pull link member extending through the interior of the socket and terminating in a hook member that joins the end of the pull link to the center of the spoked ring, the said resilient means serving to hold the ring normally in its upper position Within the said slots.

3. A subassembly for a portable lamp comprising a combined lamp socket, pull switch assembly and switch actuator section, said pull switch assembly comprising a plurality of fixed contact positions including an off posi tion, a rotary contactor made of electrically conducting material having ratchet surfaces adapted to sweep over said fixed C ntact positions for making and interrupting 5 electrical circuits, :1 combined self-insulated driving and pull link member for operating said rotary contactor, said member having a rigid portion and an elongated flexible portion of lesser cross section extending therefrom, said rigid portion having protuberances extending from the face thereof forming ratchet elements engageabie with said rotary contactor for rotating the same, and said flexible portion forming a pull link element for rotating the rigid ratchet portion whereby the lon itudinal force which is applied to said pull link rotates said rigid ratchet faced element to move said rotary contactor one step, and rcsilient means to return said combined member to its initial position independently of said contactor after each operation of the switch, said switch actuator section comprising a two-piece hollow housing joined to the base of said lamp socket, said housing comprising an upper portion and a lower portion joined together along a transverse axis by screw means, said upper portion having a plurality of radially spaced arms extending outwardly therefrom, slots formed in the lower portion of the housing below the said arms, and a spoked ring having its center located adjacent the center of said housing with the spokes extending hrongh the said slots and outwardly of the housing with the ring section surrounding the housing, the said pull link member extending through the interior the socket and terminating in a hook member that s the free end of the pull link to the center of the r ed ring so that when a force is applied along any section of the circumference of the ring this force is transmitted to the pull link to actuate the switch, the said resilient means serving to hold the ring normally in its upper position while the radial arms of the upper portion of the housing act as fulcrums to assist in the actuation of the switch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 5l5,485 Stirn Feb. 27, 1894 2,()l4,2l7 Williamson Sept. 10, 1935 2,408,669 Mattson Oct. 1, 1946 2,606,258 Benander Aug. 5, 1952 2,654,817 Brenton Oct. 6, 1953 

